


twenty-nine

by bruisingknees



Series: 29 [1]
Category: Druck | SKAM (Germany)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Canon Trans Character, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-27
Updated: 2019-06-27
Packaged: 2020-05-20 21:37:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19385119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bruisingknees/pseuds/bruisingknees
Summary: Matteo is convinced most people get their first love out of the way when they’re teens cause this shit is almost impossible to combine with an actual adult life.---Or: David and Matteo meet for the first time when they're 29. David has a niece he loves dearly, and a weird dog he looks after sometimes. Matteo has a crush on his new neighbor.





	twenty-nine

**Author's Note:**

> Another AU! This time I thought: what would it have been like if these guys met ten years down the line? (Spoiler: they still fall in love way too quickly and they're still soulmates!) This is just... extremely fluffy. Just all fluff. You've been warned.

Matteo opens the door of his apartment to the sight of a dog looking up at him. 

Matteo’s never had a dog, nor has he ever really been into the idea of having a dog. It’s not that he hates them, definitely not, it’s just that he’s really rather indifferent towards them. It’s an unpopular opinion to have, so it's one he doesn’t voice too often. His friends have been pushing the idea of getting a dog on to him lately. He’s been trying to deflect by saying he doesn’t have the time, or that his building doesn’t allow pets. As soon as he tried that excuse though, Hanna came out of nowhere with print outs of a European bill that forbids landlords from separating people from their pets. It was a bit scary how much research she'd put into it. It was also a bit sad to realize his friends think _Matteo _is that sad, that he needs a pet or he’ll succumb to loneliness and waste away or something.__

__He’s just happy they haven’t suggested he get a cat, to be honest. Pushing thirty and being seen as a lost cause who can now only accept his future life as a cat owner is a bit too dark and depressing for Matteo’s taste on this Saturday afternoon._ _

__But now he’s opened his front door and there’s a dog._ _

__For a second Matteo thinks Jonas and Hanna just got him a dog and then fucking ding dong ditched it on him. The thought makes the palms of his hands start sweating, and he continues to look at the dog in a worsening panic._ _

__“Hello,” Matteo says to the dog._ _

__The animal _whines_ at him and steps closer. _ _

__Matteo automatically takes a step back, but the dog keeps following him until they’re well into his apartment. Matteo decides to stand his ground, he _lives here_ , thank you very much. The dog doesn't seem aware of socially accepted personal boundaries though, and steps all the way up to him and hides its face into Matteo’s knees. It's still whining softly. _ _

___What is happening?_ _ _

__The dog obviously sounds _destressed_ and Matteo doesn’t have a fucking clue what’s going on or how to fix it. Maybe it needs food or water, he thinks. It lets out another pitiful whine and Matteo slowly lowers his hand to its head and gives it a couple of pats. _ _

__“Dude, it’ll be fine. It’s all fine,” He tells the dog, trying to sound like he knows what he's talking about._ _

__Before he can try and extract himself from the animal though, to get it some water or call Hanna in a panic, the sounds of a sniffling child start filling the building's hallway._ _

__Matteo’s front door is still open so he can hear everything loud and clear._ _

__“Honey, sweetheart,” a voice is saying. “We’ll find her, it’s okay. We’ll find her.”_ _

__“Hey!" Matteo calls out, carefully sidestepping the dog, who immediately follows Matteo, impeding his exit._ _

__“Did you lose a dog?” He asks whoever’s out in the hallway._ _

__“ _Yes_ , did you find her?” Comes the reply._ _

__“She found me,” Matteo says. The dog’s now sitting next to his legs, kind of _leaning_ on him. _ _

__“Oh, Ginger,” a man holding a child in his arms suddenly appears in Matteo’s doorway._ _

__The girl in the man’s arms stopped sniffling as soon as Matteo spoke up, and is now looking at the dog with big eyes. As soon as she’s face to face with Matteo and the dog though she starts crying again, hiding her face in the man’s neck._ _

__“I told you we’d find her, didn’t I?” He tells her. “Aren’t you relieved?”_ _

__Not as relieved as Matteo, judging by her tears._ _

__The girl, still crying, nods into the man’s neck though and lets out a sad hiccup. The dog, probably in reaction to all the stress, has started whining again as well._ _

__“I’m _so sorry_ ,” the guy tells Matteo. _ _

__“It’s totally fine. I doubt you meant for this to happen,” Matteo tries to be as reassuring as possible. He's also trying to step away from the dog a little, but she's leaning against him so much he's sure she'd topple over if he tried to leave._ _

__His neighbor seems to notice and tries to call her over: “Ginger, please, darling."_ _

__The man is not only trying to juggle a crying child in one arm, a duffle bag on his shoulder and a tiny children’s backpack in his hand, but now he’s also trying to reach for the dog, who doesn’t seem too keen._ _

__“Hey, do you need some help?” Matteo asks. “I can help you carry some things? Maybe herd the dog wherever you need it to go?”_ _

__“I mean, if you don't mind?" He asks. He looks so hopeful. Nobody could possibly tell this guy no._ _

__“No, it’s fine, I’ll just grab my keys,” Matteo says._ _

__Matteo steps all the way into the hallway, and luckily the dog follows him without too much protest. He closes and locks his door, and takes the duffle bag from the guy, who uses his now freed hand to rub gently over his kid’s back before whispering something to her._ _

__Matteo looks down at the dog and experimentally takes a step towards the staircase. The dog looks up at him and follows him easily. Matteo's neighbor notices and sounds relieved when he says: “Okay, I think she's just gonna follow us now. I’m just one floor up.”_ _

__\--_ _

__“Where do you need this?” Matteo asks as soon as they've entered the apartment, lifting the duffle bag. “And this?” The dog wanted to leave again as soon as they got into the apartment, so Matteo is trying to hold on to its collar as gently as he possibly can._ _

__“Uhm, you can just drop that on the floor and I’ll be right back,” the guy says, taking the kid through a hallway and into what Matteo already knows will be a bedroom, seeing as this apartment has the exact same layout as his own._ _

__He takes a while to get back, but luckily the dog seems to have calmed down a little now. It sticks close to Matteo for a while, but at least it’s stopped whining. The little girl stopped crying as well, so it’s wins all around._ _

__The guy steps back into the living room area and opens the duffle, rummaging through it. He takes out a box of dog food and the dog finally leaves Matteo’s side in favor of dinner._ _

__“I’m so sorry for even asking, but could you possibly feed Ginger?” He asks, continuing his rummaging until he emerges with a stuffed seal plushy._ _

__“Uhm, sure,” Matteo says, eying the dog a little wearily. At least he was probably right about it needing to be fed then._ _

__“You can just open that top cabinet there and just pick whatever bowl, it doesn’t matter,” he says, before disappearing again._ _

__Matteo grabs the box of dog food and starts reading the instructions. He’s never fed a dog before, but he thinks you can’t just give them whatever amount. There’s a chart thingy that says what size dog needs what portion and Matteo tries to look at this dog and guesstimate what she weighs._ _

__He honestly doesn’t have a clue._ _

__He doesn't know where this guy keeps his kitchen scale to weigh out the dog food either, so it's a moot point anyway, he guesses. In the end he decides to just say fuck it and gives the dog a small portion, only filling the bottom of the bowl. If she needs more, surely her owner can figure it out._ _

__\--_ _

__His neighbor re-emerges ten minutes later, and all but collapses in one of the barstools at the kitchen island._ _

__“Was this the worst first impression you’ve ever had of someone or what?” He asks Matteo._ _

__It’s the first real smile Matteo’s seen on his face and okay. Matteo isn't blind. He'd seen that this was an attractive man from the very start, but when he smiles at Matteo like that he's definitely a whole different level of hot._ _

__“I don’t know,” Matteo says. “Someone threw up on my shoes once, immediately after I introduced myself to them, so.”_ _

__“And this family drama was better than that?” His neighbor asks him._ _

__"It honestly wasn’t that bad," Matteo shrugs. "Is uhm your daughter feeling better?”_ _

__“She’s my niece, my goddaughter,” he replies. “My sister’s daughter. The dog's hers too. She’s so anxious all the time - my niece, not the dog. I thought she’d be happy when we found Ginger but it's like she started crying even more. This morning my sister’s partner’s mom had an accident and they rushed straight down there, to the hospital, and now Alys is inconsolably worried about her grandma. The dog is a rescue dog and an anxious traveler, so she couldn’t come with, so I’m taking care of all of them for who knows how long.”_ _

__Matteo's been nodding, trying to follow along to all the information he's being given._ _

__“Fuck, and now I unloaded all of that on you, fuck. Sorry," his neighbor groans._ _

__“No,” Matteo says. “I get it. Sounds stressful.”_ _

__The guy rubs a hand over his face. “How about second impressions?” He asks. “Am I winning there yet?”_ _

__“Why don't we start over completely?” Matteo chuckles. He holds out his hand and says: “Hi, I’m Matteo, I live on the floor beneath yours. I don't think I've seen you around the building before?”_ _

__“David,” his neighbor replies, shaking his hand. “I moved here a couple of months ago. Nice to meet you under these completely normal circumstances.”_ _

__“I love meeting people under normal circumstances,” Matteo agrees. He realizes he’s still shaking David’s hand, and it’s been an inappropriately long time, so he gives an awkward laugh and lets go._ _

__“Did you have any plans, Matteo?” David asks. “Cause I was going to order pizza for me and my niece and I was wondering if you would like to eat with us.”_ _

__“Sure,” Matteo agrees._ _

__“Not as a thank you for being a total sport in the midst of all my drama, of course,” David says. "Just a new neighbors kind of social thing."_ _

__“Of course,” Matteo agrees. “I like Margherita.”_ _

__“I like pineapple,” David says. “Is that going to be a problem? I know some people have a _thing_ about that.” _ _

__“I don’t know if I have a thing,” Matteo starts. “But I _am_ Italian.”_ _

__“Oh, you have a thing for sure, then.”_ _

__“But you’re paying, so,” Matteo grins. "It's whatever."_ _

__“You put aside your principles easily,” David says, grabbing his phone from his pocket, probably to place the pizza order. “I like that.”_ _

__Matteo grabs his phone as well and texts Jonas and Hanna to let them know he won’t be able to make it to dinner after all._ _

__\---_ _

__Alys looks a lot less teary when David gets her back from her little nap. She seems happy to see Ginger now, and gives her gentle pets and cuddles. She seems weary of Matteo though, or maybe she's just shy. Matteo can relate. He’s not the best around children, or he thinks so at least. Carlos and Kiki’s kid is small enough still that it’s not too noticeable yet. All Matteo has to do to entertain little Lexie is hold her and walk around with her. Easy enough. This one is old enough to talk to him and judge him._ _

__David pays a lot of attention to his niece. He cuts up her pizza and rubs her back gently when she gets quiet. It's disturbingly endearing, especially seeing as Matteo’s never found someone taking care of a kid attractive before._ _

__"Do you want dessert or do you want to get ready for bed?" David asks her and apparently she wants to go straight back to bed. Matteo remembers always trying to go to bed as late as his parents would possibly allow when he was that little. The girl must've had a rough day though, and Matteo can understand trying to sleep away your problems._ _

__"Can you tell Matteo goodnight?" David asks, and the little girl looks up at him and softly says: "Goodnight."_ _

__"Sweet dreams," Matteo tells her. He's rewarded by her smiling back at him._ _

__"Do you want to stay?" David asks Matteo. "I've got some beers in the fridge and I do have ice cream for dessert as well, if you want some?"_ _

__Matteo surprises himself when he says yes. He's been doing a weird amount of saying yes today._ _

__\--_ _

__“She’s so smart,” David says. “She’s so caring and kind and it scares the shit out of me cause she’s such an anxious little kid.”_ _

__They’re two ice creams in, and the TV they put on to supposedly watch has been completely forgotten. David talks about his niece with such obvious love that it's making Matteo want to know more about her._ _

__“When I was her age I was so carefree and just _wild_. I didn’t start becoming an anxious kid until I was like seven or eight, she was supposed to have another three good years ahead of her,” David tries to joke._ _

__“She’s still a child,” Matteo shrugs. “And she’s obviously got a good support system. She’ll be fine.”_ _

__“Yeah, I know. I mean, _I_ grew out of it." _ _

__“I was a bit of an anxious kid as well,” Matteo says. “I was a bit of a depressed kid too.”_ _

__“Did you grow out of it?” David asks._ _

__Matteo takes a couple of seconds to answer that. “I was a bit fucked up as a teen. I was a bit fucked up as a twenty-something-year-old as well,” and he doesn’t know why he’s saying that. He doesn’t know why he’s sharing like this, but David’s been sharing all evening, and it’s been making Matteo feel like he can share as well. Like he wants David to hear this and know it’ll be okay. “But yeah, I grew out of it. With a little help. A little therapy.”_ _

__“Yeah?”_ _

__“I mean, I’m still a bit fucked up,” Matteo says. “But honestly, who isn’t?”_ _

__“Who isn’t,” David agrees, smiling._ _

__\--_ _

__When Matteo tries to leave David’s apartment two hours later, Ginger tries to follow him out._ _

__“Uhm, no,” Matteo tries to tell her. “Stay.”_ _

__“She’s so weird,” David says, holding her back while Matteo puts his shoes back on. “My sister works for an animal shelter. She managed to not bring any of the sad stories home for five years, and then a couple of months ago this one came in and for some reason, Laura just couldn’t let her go. Then, of course, Alys fell head over heels in love with this silly thing as well.”_ _

__“That’s kind of sweet,” Matteo says, reaching out to give Ginger a pat on the head. “I’ll see you again, dude,” he tells the dog. “It’ll be okay.”_ _

__David has to hold her back while Matteo makes his way back to his own apartment._ _

__\---_ _

__The next day David and Alys knock on Matteo’s door._ _

__“You haven’t lost your dog again, right?” Matteo teases._ _

__“No,” David grins. “We baked cookies today, didn’t we Al?”_ _

__Alys nods at him shyly, holding on tightly to a Tupperware container._ _

__“Do you want to show Matteo?” David asks, and Alys opens the container for Matteo to see. There are at least a dozen dog bone shaped cookies in there, iced and everything._ _

__“Oh wow, those are so pretty,” Matteo compliments the little girl._ _

__“Uncle David is really good at making cookies,” Alys tell him softly._ _

__“I’m _okay_ at making cookies,” David says, endearingly enough turning a bit red. “And you helped me a lot, Al.” _ _

__Alys holds out the container for Matteo. “Are those for me then?” He asks._ _

__“As a thank you for finding and returning Ginger.”_ _

__“Well, I wasn’t going to keep her,” Matteo says, before looking down at Alys and adding: “Although she is a very good dog.”_ _

__Alys smiles at him at that, Matteo can't help but feel proud at that._ _

__\--_ _

__Abdi comes by that afternoon to play some video games, and he ends up finding the cookies in Matteo’s kitchen while he’s rummaging around for snacks._ _

__“Dude,” he says, coming into the living room with a cookie hanging out of his mouth. “Where did you get these from?”_ _

__“Nowhere,” Matteo says, getting up to take the Tupperware from his hands. “Fuck, why are you going through my things and just eating my cookies?”_ _

__“Dude, I asked you and you said I could take something, you’ve never cared before.”_ _

__“Well, I care now,” Matteo grumbles._ _

__“Testy,” Abdi says, eyes narrowing suspiciously._ _

__\---_ _

__“Oh, hey!” David’s coming down the stairs just as Matteo’s closing his front door behind himself._ _

__“You’re going out early,” Matteo says, just to have something to say that isn’t a remark about the outfit David is wearing. He’s got on a muscle tank top deal, and running shorts. It's a lot to take in this early in the morning. Matteo’s not working at full capacity here, and that’s a lot of skin on display._ _

__“Going for a run before work,” David says._ _

__“That’s the most unrelatable thing I’ve ever heard you say,” Matteo kind of blurts out._ _

__David chuckles and asks: “Why are you going out so early then?”_ _

__“Going for breakfast before work,” Matteo says. Then, unexplainably, he adds: “You look it, though.”_ _

__“Unrelatable?” David asks._ _

__“No! No, like you run. Like you work out – you look, uhm, you look fit like you work out.”_ _

__David grins at him and shrugs. “I did advanced sports in school,” he says. “And then after high school was done I just tried out all sorts of things to work off the excess energy. I've found that running is the only thing that kind of stuck.”_ _

__Matteo grimaces and David laughs again: “Let me guess, _that_ ’s the most unrelatable thing I’ve ever said to you.”_ _

__“Pretty much,” Matteo agrees. “I couldn’t persuade you to go have breakfast with me instead?”_ _

__“Tempting,” David says. “But the outfit doesn’t really scream sit down breakfast.”_ _

__Matteo is absolutely sure nobody would mind._ _

__Luckily he doesn’t say it out loud._ _

__“Rain check,” Matteo tries instead._ _

__“Rain check,” David agrees. “Hey, I should give you my number so we can arrange that rain check thing then.”_ _

__“Oh,” Matteo says dumbly. “Oh, yeah. Totally, yeah.”_ _

__He hands over his phone over to David, who punches in his number and then takes a selfie on Matteo’s phone. He makes a silly face at the camera and then puts the pictures as his contact photo._ _

__“I called myself, so now I have your number as well."_ _

__“Don’t have a picture for my profile pic though,” Matteo says._ _

__“Send me a selfie,” David calls, giving Matteo a little wave and taking off down the stairs to go on his run._ _

__\--_ _

__Matteo thought David was joking, but around lunchtime, he gets a message from him._ _

___When am I getting that selfie then?_ It says. _ _

__He spends the next couple of hours worrying about which picture to send._ _

__He's already looked at the picture David took on his phone about thirteen times. It's horrible because he's wearing the stupid tank top and Matteo is supposed to be focussing on his job, not lusting over his new neighbor._ _

__Matteo actually contemplates asking Jonas for his opinion on what picture to send David, but then dismisses that thought almost immediately. Jonas would ask him what he’d be choosing the picture for, and if Matteo explained he’d turn it into a whole thing. Assuming Matteo is interested in David romantically or insisting that he _should_ be interested if Matteo tried to explain it’s just a friendly neighbors thing. If Matteo tried to insist that David is out of his league, he'd get a lecture. _ _

__In the end, Matteo ends up taking a new selfie in his office bathroom and sending it to David. David replies with a smiley face. Matteo turns off his phone._ _

__\---_ _

__They start texting a bit from then on. A Good Morning here, and a link to a funny news article there. Every time his phone buzzes Matteo gets preemptively excited. When he's around his friends he tries to tone it down, cause even though they look a bit dumb, they're way too perceptive sometimes._ _

__That week someone dumps a couch on the pavement in front of their building and Matteo lies down on it and takes a selfie to send to David. _Have you seen my new out-door livingroom situation?_ He asks. _ _

___I did! Clever way to get more out of your rent!_ _ _

___Want to come and have a beer in my new, added living space after work tonight?_ Matteo asks. _ _

___I’ll bring the beer :)_ , David replies. _ _

__They meet up on the dingy, old couch on the sidewalk. People stare at them as they pass them, but they don’t care. David really brought beer, and immediately starts telling Matteo about something funny that happened at work. David works as a brand consultant for a really cool looking company (Matteo googled them.) It sounds like his job is mostly working on the creative side, which David seems to love. It sounds like he really loves his job in general._ _

__Matteo likes his job too. He wouldn't say he _loved_ it, but he's good at it, and it's fulfilling. He never thought he'd end up being a programmer. For a couple of years after high school, he wasn't sure what he saw himself doing later, when he 'grew up.' But then he grew up and he had to do _something_ , and this was actually something he enjoyed. Even though it makes him feel like a bit of a geek when he introduces himself to someone as a programmer. _ _

__Unexplainably he's told all of this to David, even the geek part. David had asked him: "Aren't geeks hot now?" and Matteo had replied with: "Do you think geeks are hot then?"_ _

__David had said yes and Matteo hadn't known what to do with that information._ _

__They’re on their second beer when the police come by. They get asked if the couch is theirs, and reminded that illegally dumping furniture on the street is a crime. When they reassure the officers that the couch isn't theirs, they get told off for sitting on it. In the end, they hurry away and take their beers back inside._ _

__“Can you believe we got told off by the police?” David asks, “I feel nineteen again instead of twenty-nine.”_ _

__They reach Matteo’s floor first and decide to go to Matteo's to finish their drinks._ _

__“Oh, I’ve still got this,” Matteo realizes, going back to his kitchen to grab David’s Tupperware container._ _

__“The cookies really were very good, by the way,” Matteo tells David, who's made himself at home on the couch, sipping his beer,_ _

__“It was storebought cookie dough though,” David says. “I feel like I have to clear that up before you think I’m some sort of amazing baker and I have to break your heart down the line.”_ _

__“So you’d rather break my heart now?” Matteo asks._ _

__“Yeah, I think we can still move on from this now,” David laughs. “We should start this new neighborly relationship between us without any lies or false boasts.”_ _

__“But you _did_ make them?” Matteo asks. “Or did you get your tiny niece to lie about that?”_ _

__“No, no. I did _shape_ and bake them. Decorated them as well, with Alys of course.”_ _

__“Well, they looked good,” Matteo says. “So I’m still impressed.”_ _

__“Do you bake?”_ _

__“God, no,” Matteo says. “I cook sometimes, but I don't bake.”_ _

__“What's your favorite thing to cook?" David asks, leaning closer to Matteo on the couch. "Let me guess, something Italian.”_ _

__“Something Italian, yeah,” Matteo chuckles. “I do pasta. I make a kick-ass lasagna, actually.”_ _

__“You’re going to have to make me some sometime then,” David decides._ _

__“Am I?” Matteo asks._ _

__“To thank me for the cookies, of course,” David shrugs like that's a given._ _

__“The cookies that were a thank you for finding your dog?” Matteo asks._ _

__“Yeah. And then after you cook me dinner, I can take you out as a thank you for the lasagna,” David grins._ _

__Matteo hears _take you out_ and his mind screeches to a sudden, confused halt for a second. Something must show on his face, because David tones down his own grin and says: “I was joking, you don’t have to cook for me.”_ _

__“No,” Matteo starts. “I mean. I could. I will. We’ll have to set a date sometime. Yeah.”_ _

__Date._ _

__David goes back to smiling. “I’d like that.”_ _

__\---_ _

__David sends Matteo a picture of himself hugging Ginger and adds: _Ginger misses your face :(__ _

__Then he sends Matteo a text saying: _Maybe you should come by tonight and say hi to her?__ _

___Ginger has great taste,_ Matteo replies. _Should I just come and say hi to her?__ _

___Well, if you’re here anyway you might as well say hi to me as well._ _ _

___You know you don’t need to use the dog as an excuse, right?_ Matteo jokes. _If you want to see me, you can just say so.__ _

__When David replies _I want to see you_ , it takes Matteo a little longer to reply cause he’s busy convincing himself David is just joking around like Matteo had been. _ _

__\--_ _

__“Hi,” he says when David opens his door that evening. Matteo hopes he doesn’t look as awkward as he feels._ _

__“Hi,” David’s smile makes Matteo feel a bit light headed. Maybe he shouldn’t have run up the stairs._ _

__“Where’s the dog then?” Matteo asks._ _

__“I thought we agreed that you were here for me?” David asks, his whole face lighting up when he smiles like that._ _

__That's flirting, right? That's definitely _something_ cause it's making Matteo feel _something_. _ _

__“Hm, the dog asked first,” Matteo shrugs, playing it cool (with the emphasis on playing) before walking into the apartment. He allows Ginger to run a couple of circles around him before he settles down on the couch. Ginger goes to lie on his feet, and Matteo leans down to pet her on the head._ _

__“Weird dog,” David says, but he’s smiling and leaning down to pat her as well as he gets settled on the couch next to Matteo._ _

__“Why is she with you today then?”_ _

__“More grandma drama,” David explains. “Laura’s mother-in-law is still in the hospital, so they’ve gone over there again for a visit. The dog doesn’t travel well, so now I’ve got her for two days.”_ _

__“You’re a good brother,” Matteo says._ _

__David shrugs but he looks pleased, like it's the best compliment Matteo could give him._ _

__\--_ _

__Matteo lets David rope him into going on a walk with Ginger. Matteo gets to hold the leash and is happy that she doesn't pull too much and blows his cover as total dog noob in front of David. She's well behaved, but a little scared of most things._ _

__Matteo is surprised by how much attention people pay you when you're walking a dog. This is the third woman who's stopped to pet Ginger in twenty minutes. It's also three out of three who's eyed up David and while Matteo can relate, he's also a bit. Disgruntled._ _

__"Do you have a girlfriend?" Matteo asks. It might’ve come a bit out of nowhere, judging by how strangely David is looking at him._ _

__"That woman," Matteo clarifies. "Looked into you."_ _

__"She was into the dog," David laughs._ _

__Matteo hums but he isn't convinced._ _

__"But no, I don't have a girlfriend," David tells him. "Or a boyfriend."_ _

__"Oh," Matteo replies._ _

__"What about you?" David asks._ _

__"I also don't have a boyfriend," Matteo says, keeping his eyes on Ginger while he tries to gently guide her around a muddy puddle._ _

__"Good," David says._ _

__Matteo isn't sure what that's supposed to mean._ _

__\---_ _

__There’s a big group of people in Matteo’s hallway. They’re all dressed in bright colors, waving different pride flags around and making a lot of noise._ _

__“Uhm,” Jonas says when Matteo opens the door for him. “I didn’t know your building was one of the Pride venues.”_ _

__“I didn’t get that memo either,” Matteo says, poking his head out to see at least fifteen people making their way down the stairs. David's at the rear._ _

__“Oh, hi,” David says when he spots Matteo, bounding over immediately while his entourage (friends?) continue making their way downstairs._ _

__“They with you?” Matteo asks, taking in David’s outfit. He’s wearing a pair of black jeans and a ‘Proud to be Trans’ tank top. He’s also got a rainbow on his left cheek and pink-yellow-blue pan pride flag on his right cheek._ _

__It’s a lot to take in - especially with David looking at him so expectantly, and Jonas _staring_ at David. _ _

__“Yeah, we’re on our way to pride,” David says._ _

__“Oh yeah? I couldn’t tell,” Matteo says, deadpan._ _

__The group’s mostly made its way down to the next floor now, leaving David behind with Matteo and Jonas._ _

__“Hi, I’m David, Matteo’s upstairs neighbor,” David says, reaching out his hand to shake Jonas’._ _

__“Jonas,” Jonas says. “I’m Matteo’s best friend.”_ _

__“Are you guys going to pride?” David asks._ _

__Before Matteo can say anything Jonas chimes in. “Oh, I tried to make him, but apparently you can’t tell grown ass men what to do, even though it would be really, really good for said grown ass man.”_ _

__“Why would it be really, really good for me?” Matteo mumbles._ _

__“Uhm, to get out there? To meet people? Get involved in your community?” Jonas starts listing reasons, and Matteo should’ve known better than to ask because Jonas has beaten this horse to death many times before._ _

__Matteo can see David trying not to smile (or laugh straight in his face, probably) and this is getting a bit embarrassing and awkward._ _

__“Jonas, please,” Matteo groans._ _

__“But apparently you’ve been making friends in your building!” Jonas says – the _and you didn’t tell me_ clear in his tone of voice and the look on his face. _ _

__“And you said I’d never make new friends by just sitting at home,” Matteo says. "Look at me now."_ _

__Jonas rolls his eyes and turns to David, "He's lucky I put up with him. He's lucky _you_ put up with him." _ _

__David smiles at Matteo and says: "I don't know, I feel pretty lucky that he puts up with me."_ _

__Matteo doesn’t know how to respond to that at all. Once again there are too many eyes on him while he’s just trying to quietly and privately freak out._ _

__“Well, if you change your mind, you should send me a message and we can meet up,” David says before Jonas and Matteo can continue bickering. “I better get going now, have a nice day, guys.”_ _

__Once David’s disappeared down the stairs Jonas turns to Matteo with the widest grin and hits him on the upper arm. “Dude, who is that? Why didn’t you tell me you have a hot, gay neighbor?”_ _

__“I think he’s pan sexual,” Matteo says. “The flag on his cheek.”_ _

__“Whatever! Why didn’t you tell me?”_ _

__“Because I knew you’d start acting like this!" Matteo says. “Now get inside and pick out a game, or I’m leaving you out here.”_ _

__“Well, if you leave me out here I might as well go to pride with your hot neighbor,” Jonas says, so Matteo grabs him by the shirt and drags him inside._ _

__\---_ _

__David is about an hour early for their lasagna dinner. Matteo opens the door in a gross, sweaty shirt and has to excuse himself to get changed. When he gets back to his living room, David is looking at the pictures on his bookcase. David looks good among Matteo’s things, somehow. Matteo clears his throat before he’s caught staring._ _

__"Where was this?" David asks, pointing at a picture of Matteo and Jonas._ _

__"Cuba," Matteo says._ _

__"How old were you guys here?"_ _

__"Eighteen," Matteo says. "Fresh out of high school."_ _

__"So cute," David says, face scrunching up adorably as he smiles at the picture._ _

__\--_ _

__Luckily Matteo made the lasagna beforehand so he just has to pop it into the oven. He isn’t sure he’d have been able to cook with David looking at him._ _

__They talk over a glass of the wine David brought with him while they wait for the timer on Matteo's phone to go off. Matteo asks David about pride, and David tells Matteo about some of the things they got up to before telling Matteo that he's trans. Matteo figured, with the shirt and all. He can be a bit dense sometimes, but not that dense. The timer goes off right then, but Matteo doesn’t want to end this conversation in case David takes that the wrong way._ _

__"Go save our dinner," David laughs. "Wouldn't want it to burn."_ _

__"Thanks for telling me," Matteo blurts out, getting up to go turn off the oven._ _

__"I wanted you to know," David shrugs. "It's not a secret. Plus I guess the shirt kind of gave it away already."_ _

__"A little," Matteo agrees. "Not the most stealth option."_ _

__David smiles at him and Matteo turns back to the oven so he can focus on that instead._ _

__\--_ _

__David makes a lot of appreciative noises while eating, which Matteo appreciates. He definitely works best when there's positive reinforcement and enough praise to go around. It does mean he can feel himself go a little pink and _smile-y_ though. _ _

__Matteo, wanting to be a good host and impress David, also got tiramisu for dessert, which David is very appreciative of as well._ _

__"I didn't make it," Matteo says. "Wanted to get that out there now, so I don't break your heart down the line."_ _

__"So you'd rather break it now?" David echoes the conversation they had about the cookie dough._ _

__"I think we can still take it," Matteo answers._ _

__"Yeah, I think you're right."_ _

__\--_ _

__“My dating history is kind of pathetic,” Matteo says. They started drinking more wine after the tiramisu and apparently now they've landed on dating history._ _

__“I’m sure it’s not pathetic,” David replies._ _

__“My best friends got engaged three years ago,” Matteo says. “And I’m 100% sure I’m the reason they haven’t gotten married yet.”_ _

__“Why is that?” David asks._ _

__“Well, Jonas, who you met -" David grins and nods. "He seems convinced that I’m going to die lonely and alone,” Matteo says. “And for some reason, he’s sort of made it his mission to make sure that doesn’t happen.”_ _

__To be fair, dying lonely and alone used to be Matteo's biggest fear, so he understands that Jonas worries. It’s just a bit (entirely) too much sometimes._ _

__“Well, if you have a best friend, one who looks out for you like that, you’re not that alone, are you?” David smiles at him._ _

__“That’s true,” Matteo says._ _

__And he doesn't know why he says what he says next, why he’s always sharing these things with David, when he never talks about with anyone else, but here they are._ _

__“I was in a shitty relationship when I was 21,” he says. “It was a bit of a shitty breakup. And I think Jonas thinks it traumatized me because I haven’t really been in a real relationship ever since. But it’s not that I’m traumatized, it’s just that I think I wasn’t really in love with the guy? And I don’t know, ever since I’ve felt a bit why bother?"_ _

__And David is looking at him like all he wants to do is listen to Matteo’s sad, pathetic story, and it’s making Matteo feel squirmy even though it’s also making him feel seen in the best possible way._ _

__“I told you it was pathetic, I’m almost thirty and I don’t think I’ve ever been in love before,” Matteo adds._ _

__“It’s definitely not pathetic,” David replies immediately. “Even if you never fall in love in your life, it wouldn’t be pathetic. Things like this don’t define your worth or anything.”_ _

__“How come you’re single then?” Matteo asks, suddenly desperate to shift the attention from himself and also a little desperate to know the answer._ _

__David shrugs. “I guess I just wanted to be single for a while. I guess I was a bit sick of settling.”_ _

__Matteo smiles even though maybe this isn't really something to smile about. It's just nice, that someone understands._ _

__\---_ _

__The next day Matteo gets a text from David while he’s at work._ _

___Can I take you out on a date some time?_ _ _

__It takes Matteo a good twenty minutes before he’s able to reply._ _

__He drafts about ten different replies before telling himself he's being entirely pathetic and ridiculous. He replies: _Yes_. _ _

__David sends him a smiley face and Matteo puts his phone in a drawer in his desk._ _

__\---_ _

__“Do you want a dinner date, a coffee date or a movie date?” David asks him that evening._ _

__He knocked on the door and just kind of threw that question out there after a quick _hi, what’s up?_ Not even caring that hearing the word date come out of David’s mouth three times in about five seconds would send Matteo in a total state of wide-eyed panic. _ _

__“Uhm,” Matteo tries. “I mean. What do you want to do?"_ _

__"I asked you first," David grins, leaning against Matteo's kitchen island._ _

__"But what’s your recommendation for someone with a sad dating history like me?”_ _

__“Not sad," David says, easily. "But if you're asking for my opinion, they all have their pros and cons. A dinner date is great cause you get to eat, but then you also have to watch out that you don’t make a mess.”_ _

__“Right,” Matteo agrees. He's already enough of a mess without that._ _

__“Movie date is awesome cause you can watch a movie together, and watching movies is probably the best pastime there is. But you don’t get a lot of opportunities to talk to each other.”_ _

__“That’s true.”_ _

__“Coffee date is fun cause it's less likely that you’ll make a mess, and there’s more than enough time and opportunity to talk – plus it’s easy and we can do it right now.”_ _

__“Right now?” Matteo blinks. “As in, right this second?”_ _

__“Yeah, if you want to." When Matteo doesn't immediately shout _yes, of course!_ David adds: "Or we can go some other time if you want. It's totally up to you.” _ _

__“I don’t know if I’m date ready.” Matteo's wearing jeans and an old shirt he wore to work. He thinks there might be a stain on the back that he always ignores when he puts it on._ _

__“You look great,” David reassures him. David has a button down on and his hair is in that great poofy quiff thing. He always looks date ready._ _

__“Well, if this impresses you,” Matteo says. “I’m gonna count myself lucky that you’re so easy to please.”_ _

__“I’m not that easy to please,” David says. “You’re just great.”_ _

__\--_ _

__After changing into a slightly nicer shirt, they go on their coffee date in a coffee shop around the corner._ _

__Matteo gets a filled donut, bringing back the chance that he’ll make a mess, but luckily managing to keep a clean face, outfit and table. They talk and it feels easy. It feels like they’ve just gone for a coffee, not like they’ve gone out on a date for a coffee. When Matteo stops to think about it, he’s grateful that David took him out when he didn’t expect it so he couldn’t get in his own head and start worrying about it and maybe do something dumb like call Jonas and tell him about this date – cause Jonas definitely would’ve gotten in Matteo’s head and made it so much worse._ _

__The only thing that sets this apart from just a normal trip to the coffee shop between two neighbors is the fact that when David drops him off at his door he asks: “Can I kiss you?” And Matteo just nods at him dumbly, like an idiot._ _

__David steps close and curls his hand around Matteo’s neck gently. It’s a soft kiss, just a peck, but it makes all sorts of things flutter in Matteo’s belly. Like a great, winged creature is taking flight in his abdomen, stirring all sorts of things up with the powerful flaps of its wings._ _

__David pulls back and smiles this goofy, happy smile at him and Matteo has to close his eyes and lean in again, just to feel the fluttering again._ _

__He doesn’t remember the last time he kissed someone like this – just to kiss them, just because it felt nice and made him feel so happy and _good_. It’s wonderful and it’s amazing, and it’s _scary_ in that fluttery way. _ _

__“Can I take you out again some time?” David whispers against his lips and Matteo nods dumbly again, before forcing himself to clear his throat and reply with actual words like the grown ass adult he is: “Yeah, I’d like that.”_ _

__“I’d like that too,” David grins._ _

__\---_ _

__Matteo isn’t used to being flirted with this obviously. Guys don’t usually show that they’re interested in Matteo in subtle, flirty ways. He’s been propositioned here and there, usually in a pretty obvious and blunt way. But flirting is not really something Matteo’s experienced before._ _

__So when he opens his door in the morning, on his way to work, and finds a plate of heart-shaped cookies on his doorstep, he doesn’t really know how to process that._ _

__There’s a card that reads. 'I did these all by myself with no help this time.' There's a little drawing of a figure that's obviously supposed to be David, wearing an apron and baking cookies. It's so adorable Matteo can't stop grinning. He puts it on his fridge and takes a picture of it to send to David while he eats one of the cookies._ _

___Did you make the dough yourself as well this time?_ He asks. _ _

___No_ , is David's almost immediate reply. _I thought we already covered that I'm not good at the actual making of the food thing? ♥_ _ _

__He put an actual heart in his text. Matteo stuffs another cookie in his mouth and takes off to work._ _

__\---_ _

__David starts sending him selfies along with all the other messages he'd already been sending him. It's pictures of him in his running outfit, or of him sitting at his desk at work. It's pictures of him drinking some sort of drink with a straw._ _

__It's _distracting_. _ _

___Looks good_ , Matteo replies. And just to be a little shit he adds: _The drink looks good_. _ _

___Just the drink? :(_ David, the superior flirter, replies. _ _

___I guess you look good as well,_ Matteo reassures._ _

___Want to see me looking good in person tonight? :)_ David asks. _ _

__Matteo does want that._ _

__\--_ _

__They end up making out on the couch for what feels like hours. David’s hands are everywhere, it feels. They’re in his hair, and on his jaw, and under his shirt. Matteo wants the shirt gone, he wants David to have free reign to touch him wherever he wants and the shirt keeps _ristricting_. _ _

__“Off?” Matteo asks and David blinks at him and starts _getting off him_ and “No. No, my shirt? Off?” _ _

__“Oh,” David grins. “In that case: yes.”_ _

__Matteo scrambles up and their hands get a bit tangled up trying to get Matteo’s shirt off, but they get there in the end. David almost immediately starts kissing Matteo’s collarbones, and that’s an amazing development Matteo hadn’t even thought about – he’d been thinking about _hands_ , though it’s obvious that thinking is taking a bit of a backseat here. _ _

__David kisses down his chest and softly bites at Matteo’s left nipple. Matteo is sweating buckets by now. He doesn’t really know what to do with his hands, so they keep helplessly clenching into fists, over his head._ _

__By the time David’s made it to his bellybutton, he doesn’t think he can feel his fingers anymore._ _

__“Off?” David asks when he gets to the waistband of Matteo’s pants and Matteo nods, hands clenched into fists now._ _

__“Yes,” he finally finds his voice again. “I mean, if you uhm want.”_ _

__“I want,” and David’s grin is too much to deal with right now._ _

__David sits up to undo Matteo’s pants and Matteo lifts his hips to help shimmy out of them. David leans down to give him a kiss on the lips and takes Matteo's hands down from where they were helplessly sprawled over his head._ _

__“You can touch me,” David whispers. “You can even pull my hair a little if you want.”_ _

__“Oh,” Matteo says, running his hand through David’s hair after David’s put it there, his other hand finds a place on David’s waist while David leans in for another kiss._ _

__The blowjob he gets next is one for the books. (Not that there are books, plural, filled with Matteo’s sexual escapades. It’s more like there’s the one book, pretty thin. Lots of pictures though.)_ _

__He’s maybe a tiny bit embarrassed by how quickly he finished. He’s a bit comforted when David kisses him and mumbles: “That was hot,” against his lips though._ _

__“What can I,” Matteo has to clear his throat. “What can I do for you?”_ _

__“Invite me over for dinner on Friday?” David asks, all cheek._ _

__Matteo invites him over for dinner._ _

__\---_ _

__Matteo feels like he should probably tell his friends now. He doesn’t keep secrets from them, not anymore. While he thought it best to keep them in the dark while David and he went on their first couple of dates, just to see if it was going to work out, now things seem to be progressing fast and Matteo's actually feeling really good about it._ _

__He's just happy._ _

__Plus he wants to tell Jonas before he tries to set him up on another blind date, or get him a pet._ _

__“So do you remember David?” Matteo asks Jonas while he’s over at his and Hanna’s place for dinner that Thursday._ _

__“David?” Jonas asks. “Should I know a David?”_ _

__“You met him in my building at pride?” Matteo asks. “Dark hair? Came to talk to us? You said he was hot?”_ _

__Hanna laughs into her drink and Jonas rolls his eyes. “Yes, David, okay. What about him?” Jonas asks, slowly but surely breaking out into a grin. “What’s going on there?”_ _

__“We’re sort of dating,” Matteo says and Hanna’s grinning now too, though she’s obviously a lot more cool about it._ _

__“Hah, _you_ ’re the one who thinks he’s hot. Oh, I knew it! Didn’t I tell you meeting new people is great, Matteo?”_ _

__Matteo rolls his eyes. “Yeah, yeah.”_ _

__“Why haven’t I met this David yet?” Hanna asks. “Tell me about him, come on.” She turns to Jonas and says: “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me there was a David.”_ _

__“I didn’t know he’d end up being important!” Jonas defends himself._ _

__Matteo grabs his phone and looks through the photos David’s been sending him. Some of them aren’t appropriate to show his friends. It’s not that any of them are racy, or whatever. It’s just that David took them for him, and he manages to make everything look so attractive and flirty and Matteo wants to keep that to himself. He finally settles on a straightforward, safe picture David sent Matteo of him and his niece at the park._ _

__“Aw, he’s so handsome!” Hanna says._ _

__Matteo shrugs. “Well, duh.”_ _

__“You’re blushing,” she says, reaching out to pinch his cheeks. He can dodge the assault just in time._ _

__“Stop!” He complains._ _

__“But you are,” she cackles._ _

__“Jonas,” Matteo turns to his friend for help._ _

__“You kind of are, Luigi,” Jonas says. “It’s adorable.”_ _

__“You’re both the worst,” Matteo says, reaching for his phone, but Hanna holds it out of reach._ _

__“Who’s the kid? Does he have a daughter?”_ _

__“No, it’s his niece. The apple of his eye though.”_ _

__“Matteo, this is all so goddamn sweet,” Hanna says. “It's kind of putting me off from wanting any dessert."_ _

__“So sweet,” Jonas agrees._ _

__“Telling you was a mistake,” Matteo says._ _

__\---_ _

__David comes over for dinner on Friday. They have sushi and ice cream after._ _

__“Not very in theme, this,” Matteo says, finishing his bowl of strawberry ice cream._ _

__“What was the theme then?” David asks._ _

__“Japanese?” Matteo laughs._ _

__“Don't the Japanese get to eat ice cream?" David asks, just to be difficult, Matteo is sure. "Also I thought the theme was date night,” David grins. “And on date night we get to do whatever we want.”_ _

__What they want is to move the date to the bedroom._ _

__\--_ _

__Matteo takes off David’s shirt and trails his fingers over the scars on his chest._ _

__“Does that still hurt?” He asks._ _

__“No, not anymore.”_ _

__“Did it hurt when you got the operation?” Matteo asks._ _

__“Like a motherfucker,” David laughs._ _

__Matteo leans down to kiss him there._ _

__“What’s this from?” He asks, trailing his finger over a scar on David’s side._ _

__“Wall climbing accident, funny story that,” David murmurs._ _

__“Why do I have the feeling you're always getting into trouble?" Matteo asks._ _

__David shrugs, "I'm not really, sometimes I just climb things and accidents happen."_ _

__"Sometimes I just climb things," Matteo repeats mockingly. "Who are you?"_ _

__"The guy in your bed," David says and Matteo has to bury his face in David's side for a second._ _

__He kisses David's side and then he kisses the wall-climbing-scar, before moving on his exploration._ _

__"What’s this then?” Matteo asks._ _

__“That’s my belly button,” David says just as Matteo gently kisses it and dips his tongue inside. “I got that shortly after birth.”_ _

__“Also a traumatic experience, I’m sure,” Matteo says._ _

__“Must’ve been, yeah,” David agrees, running his hands through Matteo’s hair and smiling down at him._ _

__Matteo kisses his way further down David’s lower belly, nipping at the hair trailing down. When he reaches the waistband of David’s boxers he pulls them a bit lower to keep kissing, and David’s hands in his hair clench and tug until Matteo gets the message and he makes his way back up to David’s lips._ _

__“Can I take these off?” Matteo asks against David’s lips once he’s released Matteo’s mouth again._ _

__David nods._ _

__“You’re going to have to help me,” Matteo mumbles. “I mean, show me what you like.”_ _

__“I’ll show you what I like,” David reassures him._ _

__“I mean, you already know what I like,” Matteo tries to joke. “So it’s only fair.”_ _

__He’s finding the impending possibility that he might be a bit crap at this – at least at first – a bit overwhelming. Or maybe it’s just having David here, naked and under him, that’s just short-circuiting his brain a bit at the moment._ _

__“I’m sure there’s still much to learn on that front,” David says._ _

__“Doubt it," Matteo says. "I’m a pretty easy guy."_ _

__David laughs and kisses him again._ _

__

__  
_It’s exhilarating and scary and the best Matteo’s felt in a long time. David tells him it’s good, _he__ ’s good, and Matteo doesn’t know if he’s ever had someone tell him that before in bed and now he never wants to go without it again.   


__

__“Stay the night?” Matteo mumbles against David’s shoulder._ _

__“I’m not going home now,” David mumbles. “Not sure I could make it up the stairs even if you kicked me out .”_ _

__“I’m taking that as a compliment.”_ _

__“It is, don’t worry.”_ _

__He’s not worried anymore._ _

__\---_ _

__Matteo thinks he’s in love._ _

__It’s too soon._ _

__He knows it’s too soon because it hasn’t been a month yet, and he knows it’s too soon because his friends still ask him “how’s things with David?” followed by that leering smiley face in the chat almost every single day._ _

__But it’s there and it’s growing. Matteo can feel it taking flight in his insides. Flapping its wings and stirring up all kind of things and feelings._ _

__Matteo is convinced most people get their first love out of the way when they’re teens cause this shit is almost impossible to combine with an actual adult life. Matteo is counting down the hours at work, just staring at the clock, while he’s got an important account to work on. David will send him a message around 2 and the rest of the afternoon will be a bust. His coworkers have started noticing as well, he’s sure. They’ve started grinning at him - smirking. Even pushy Carl from accounting has stopped asking him out for drinks entirely._ _

__Matteo’s also stopped cooking altogether, it seems. Things are going to waste in his fridge cause he can’t even think about making something. Every evening he either just wants to find out what David is doing for dinner and get in on that, or just shove something in the microwave or get take-out._ _

__He tells David, about the state of his fridge, and David kind of invites himself over to Matteo's and goes through his fridge with him. They bin whatever's looking a bit too gross, and put together a meal with whatever's left._ _

__They come up with the most random spread Matteo has ever seen. There are sausages and rice, cauliflower and cheeseburgers. It should be gross but it's amazing and Matteo wraps up the leftovers for David to bring to work the next day for lunch. It’s so fucking domestic._ _

__\---_ _

__Matteo thinks meeting Laura for the first time could’ve gone better, but realistically it also could’ve gone worse._ _

__He stumbles out of David’s bedroom around 11:00 in the morning on a Saturday, and David and Laura are having coffee at the kitchen island. David gives him a sheepish smile, while Laura gives him a smirk that’s so David, it kind of confuses Matteo’s mushy 11-in-the-morning brain for a second._ _

__He can’t be blamed for waking up so late, as David literally fucked him into Saturday the night before. Matteo’s just happy he put on some sweatpants before walking out. No top though._ _

__“Hi, good morning,” he says, crossing his arms over his nipples. “Uhm, David didn’t say he was going to have company.”_ _

__"I dropped by unannounced,” Laura says. “I was going to whisk this one away to the farmer’s market but he said you were still sleeping and that I needed to drink my coffee very quietly.”_ _

__David rolls his eyes at his sister and reaches for Matteo, who graciously steps closer so David can give him a hug._ _

__“Sleep well?” David asks._ _

__Matteo flushes, cause he’s the most awkward person ever, remembering what they were up to last night that made him sleep so well, and mumbles. “Uhm, yeah, I’m going to go put on a shirt.”_ _

__

__They do proper introductions after Matteo’s pulled himself together a little bit more and gotten dressed properly._ _

__“Matteo, this is Laura, my sister. Laura, this is Matteo, my boyfriend.”_ _

__Matteo can’t catch a break. He makes an embarrassing sound when David says _boyfriend_ , but he thinks he plays it off cool enough by clearing his throat and coughing straight after. _ _

__\---_ _

__"Did I catch you by surprise earlier?" David asks them. The three of them ended up going to the farmer’s market. Laura is currently picking out some flowers, while David and Matteo are looking at some cabbages._ _

__"I was just surprised to see your sister," Matteo says. "But I'm glad I got to meet her."_ _

__"No, I meant with the boyfriend thing," David says._ _

__"Oh," Matteo replies, looking down and touching one of the cabbages for some unclear reason. "I guess I was a little surprised."_ _

__"Good surprise?" David asks. "Ba-" Before he can ask _bad surprise?_ Matteo interrupts him and says: "I want to be your boyfriend, so good surprise, yeah." _ _

__They kiss in front of the savoy and napa cabbages._ _

__\---_ _

__When they meet each other for the first time, David and Carlos immediately bond over their love for their daughter and niece. They show each other pictures and do all that typical awing and oohing. Matteo awws and oohs along, even though he’s already seen all these pictures and heard all these stories. He’s strangely happy that Ginger is with them, and he can focus on the dog, cause David and Carlos aren’t paying him that much attention._ _

__Abdi and David bond over their love for dumb horror movies. They go out to these special horror film festivals and Matteo goes to hang out at Hanna and Jonas' place instead. Abid calls him the next morning, raving about how great Matteo’s boyfriend is and how he has to make sure to keep him so Abdi can go to another festival with David in a couple of months._ _

__David and Jonas get on like a house on fire. It's a relief, even though Matteo knew they'd be friends - they're the two best guys Matteo has ever known, after all. He isn't quite sure what their thing is, at first, the thing they bond over, until Hanna tells him one night that it's him._ _

__"They're co-presidents of the Matteo Florenzi fan club," she teases him._ _

__The notion is so insane but it makes Matteo feel really warm all the same._ _

__He gives Jonas a hug when he leaves after dinner that night. Jonas seems startled but happily returns the embrace._ _

__“You okay there?” He asks jokingly. “How much did you have to drink?”_ _

__“Shut up,” Matteo says. “I just wanted to say like thanks.”_ _

__“For dinner? No problem, man. You know you’re always welcome.”_ _

__“For dinner but also for being such a good friend and stuff.”_ _

__Jonas’ smile lights up the room. “Man, of course. You’re my best friend, aren’t you?”_ _

__\---_ _

__When Matteo tells David _I love you_ for the first time, he doesn’t want anything but for David to know. _ _

__Summer is coming to an end, and the wind blowing in through his bedroom window during the early morning hours is getting a bit more chilly. They’ve got the blankets wrapped all the way around their shoulders and Matteo just wants David to know._ _

__He tells David almost anything, and the thought of going one more day without telling him this is too much._ _

__“I love you,” he mumbles, and he probably should’ve waited for David to finish his story about Alys but he can’t take it back now._ _

__David blinks at him slowly, obviously not expecting this._ _

__“You don’t have to say it back,” Matteo whispers. “I just wanted you to know.”_ _

__“Shut up,” David replies. “Of course I’m going to say it back.”_ _

__Matteo can already feel himself smiling so widely, even though David hasn’t even said it yet._ _

__“Okay,” Matteo says. “I’ll shut up.”_ _

__David shuffles closer and kisses him softly. “I love you,” he says, and it feels better than Matteo could’ve imagined._ _

__“That’s nice,” Matteo whispers against David’s lips._ _

__“It’s nice that I love you?” David chuckles._ _

__“It’s nice that we love each other,” Matteo says._ _

__“You’re so sappy,” David accuses, kissing him again and making them both late for work that morning._ _

__\---_ _

__When Matteo and David have been dating for three months, Jonas and Hanna announce their wedding date. Matteo’s invitation is addressed to Mr. Florenzi and Mr. Schreibner. The date is set just two months later._ _

__“I told you they were waiting for me to find someone,” Matteo groans. “Those absolute idiots.”_ _

__David’s making scrambled eggs for breakfast in his kitchen. Alys is getting ready in the bathroom and Ginger is snoring on the couch. They’re going to the Zoo today and Matteo isn’t sure who’s more excited. Alys or David._ _

__David looks at the invitation and grins: “Does this mean I get to see you in a tuxedo then?”_ _

__“Of course,” Matteo says. “I’m the best man, aren’t I?”_ _

__“Are you?” David asks._ _

__“The best friend is the best man,” Matteo shrugs._ _

__“That’s not what I heard Abdi say last week?” David replies, turning off the stove and grabbing some plates._ _

__“What did you hear Abdi say?” Matteo wants to know._ _

__“Something about a pact you guys made in college?”_ _

__“Oh fuck,” Matteo says, suddenly seeing all the dumb ass decisions he made when he was young, dumb and drunk flash before his eyes. “I have to call Jonas.”_ _

**Author's Note:**

> I'm also on [tumblr](https://bruisingknees.tumblr.com/), if you want to come say hi!


End file.
